Family Day Unplugged

What is Family Day Unplugged?

Family Day Unplugged is all about disconnecting from technology to connect with your family, friends and community.

Why unplug?

Children who watch more tv during the first three years of life are more likely to have problems with attention deficit disorders later in life. (Institute for Safe Families)

By graduation, the average teen will have spent more time watching screens than being in the classroom, playing sports and talking to their parents. (Screensmart.ca)

Great reasons!!

Unplugged Activity Ideas

ReFRESH Air. Free outside activities on Family Day

Take a walk

Clean up / declutter

Create a piece of art together

Board games / jigsaw puzzle

Treasure hunt

Build a snowman

Make a sock puppet that represents each member of the family

Go visit family / friends

See if the local hospital has a ‘read to the elderly’ program or similar

Get messy – building brains and connections through messy play

Make up a family song

Read

Make a ‘show’ where each family member has to sing, dance, tell jokes etc. Bring out the popcorn and make an evening of it after practicing in the day

Learn a magic trick

Do some fun harmless science experiments

Shovel some sidewalks of people who need help

Bake

Where Did it All Begin?

Family Day Unplugged is an FCSS program that was started in 2011 by some Edmonton Evergreen FCSS programs. FCSS program had identified that while technology was wonderful communication tool, that the trend to use electronic communication had its pitfalls. Some examples noted was the increase stress with instant communication – you can now bring your work home and answer work emails at home. The less personal electronic communication did not allow for face to face interaction – communication is not expressed with words but body language, facial expressions. Family Day Unplugged is a marketing campaign to express to families the importance of remembering to unplug from technology and connect with family members, friends, community face to face occasionally. The way we do this is through a friendly competition between Municipalities to see who can get the most “unplugged hours” per capita on Family Day. Because this is a full Capital Region initiative, we have had television, radio and print coverage.

All communities within Edmonton Evergreen FCSS region participated in 2014 and many other communities throughout the province use the resources developed by Edmonton Evergreen region to do their own activities. Some communities just put up posters and some do activities on Family Day including school competitions and events. Additionally we have received press all across Canada from our efforts with radio stations and newspapers talking about Family Day Unplugged in Alberta.